US orders Indian diplomat to leave

Updated
January 11, 2014 10:05:00

The US and India have resolved a month-long feud over a diplomat charged with fraud and with underpaying her domestic servant. Devyani Khobragade was ordered out of the US after she was indicted over her alleged crimes and India refused to waive her immunity.

SIMON SANTOW: The United States and India have resolved a month-long feud over a diplomat charged with fraud and with underpaying her domestic servant.

Devyani Khobragade was ordered out of the US after she was indicted over her alleged crimes and India refused to waive her immunity.

New Delhi claimed the US had violated her rights as a diplomat, and in response it removed security barricades around the US Embassy in India and cancelled privileges for its consular staff.

From New Delhi, here's our South Asia correspondent Michael Edwards.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: After a month of diplomatic wrangling, Devyani Khobragade has now left the United States, though not by choice.

The US asked her to leave after India refused to waive her diplomatic immunity once she was indicted on charges of lying on her visa and underpaying her maid.

Syed Akbaruddin is the spokesman for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

SYED AKBARUDDIN: The US government requested the government of India to wave the immunity of counsellor Khobragade. On 9 January 2014, the government of India declined to do so and transferred counsellor Khobragade to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: When news that Devyani Khobragade had been arrested, charged, and then strip-searched reached India last month, there was widespread outrage. India demanded an apology for her 'humiliation', a mob burnt an effigy of president Obama out front of the US Embassy, and the police removed security barriers from outside the building.

Ms Khobragade's father has praised the Indian government for the way it handled the situation.

UTTAM KHOBRAGADE: My daughter is going to come back to her country and unite with the family. This would not have been possible without the support the entire nation, entire media, and the government gave to us.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: She might be back in India but the damage may have already been done. The situation has placed a massive strain on relations between India and the US, two countries that in recent years have struck up a strong partnership.

Brahma Chellaney is a New Delhi-based foreign affairs expert.

BRAHMA CHELLANEY: Some of the underlying issues will continue to simmer, and the damage to the US/India relationship that this particular episode has caused will take a while to be repaired.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: The question many are asking is why did New Delhi react so strongly over the treatment of a relatively junior diplomat?

BRAHMA CHELLANEY: There had been a number of episodes involving Indians, including Indian political leaders, visiting the US who need to go through pat-down searches at the airport. For example, a former president of India and a serving defence minister of India being literally strip-searched at one of the airports in the US.

So there were a number of these incidents that actually have been adding up to the Indian anger. So when this particular incident happened - this particular incident really let loose the Indian anger.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: It's alleged Ms Khobragade was paying her maid around $500 dollars a month. Her indictment sheet also says the maid was forced to work 100 hours a week and was only given only a half-day off.

And at this stage, the dispute doesn't seem as though it's going away.

Late on Friday, Indian officials had reportedly asked the United States to withdraw an official at its New Delhi embassy of similar rank to Ms Khobragade.